This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Feb. 21, 2011 - The meaning of a smile transcends language. So does a hug. So do music, dance and visual art.
With this in mind, violinist Marc Thayer wants to help local arts organizations reach out beyond their own cultures. His St. Louis Arts Roundtable event, "Cultural Diplomacy in your Neighborhood and Abroad" taking place Sat., Feb. 26, offers guest speakers with experience in cross-cultural pursuits.
Thayer has played with symphonies in Bolivia, Iraq, France and Germany, among others. He manages community partnership programs for the St. Louis Symphony. They include the In Unison Chorus, which works with 40 African-American churches, and others involving the local Bosnian, Latin American, Middle Eastern and other communities.
In addition to teaching locally, Thayer has taught and performed at the Iraqi Unity Performing Arts Academy and the orchestra of the Guadalquivir Festival in Bolivia. Every summer, he returns to Iraq for two weeks.
But for Thayer, cultural immersion is a 24/7 commitment. Every year, he provides a home for two Iraqi music students who come to the United States through scholarships to Saint Louis University and play with the symphony's youth orchestra. One of last year's students remains with Thayer while continuing his education in St. Louis.
In a conversation with the Beacon, Thayer talked about the never-a-dull-moment pace of a home enlivened by a mix of cultures, cooking and musical talents, and the importance of cultural diplomacy.
For whom is the roundtable intended, and what kind of information will you have for them?
Thayer: People in management in any branch of arts administration; we're also trying to interact with art educators, music teachers, art teachers, those in professional development, marketing people and education managers with arts organizations, both big and small. The goal is cultural diplomacy and interacting with other cultures whether it's here in St. Louis or elsewhere, and abroad. We'll talk about how to get it started, and how to develop a program and find funding. And we're also talking about how to interact with U.S. diplomats and arts programs overseas through embassies, the State Department and other sources.
How would someone in the arts connect with people to begin an intercultural program?
Thayer: I recommend starting locally. The International Institute is a great resource that a lot of people don't know enough about. The institute knows who the leaders are in each community and who's active, who's presenting programs and who's got funding for different things.
One of the best things happening in town is the Festival of Nations, which is organized by the International Institute. By going to that, you realize how many people from so many places are here and working, and who are part of our neighborhood and who might be your neighbors and you don't even realize it. There are concerts going on all day both days. There are information tables for organizations in St. Louis.
Our city has a Puerto Rican society, a Venezuelan society and a Vietnamese society, but they're not always easy to find in the phone book or online; some of it is word of mouth.
How do the arts help those of different cultures begin to understand each other?
Thayer: The arts are a wonderful way of getting to know people from other places and different kinds of people, in which it doesn't have to be about religion or politics. Music is a universal language, and art and dance are universal languages. You can work together and perform together and communicate with each other even if you don't speak the same language or have the same religion. We're all the same; we all have 90 percent in common.
What is your life like with the Iraqi students?
Thayer: We're having fun. I've encouraged them to write a Kurdish cookbook because I don't know that one exists. I'm learning about their cooking, customs, the Muslim holidays, Muslim traditions and family life in Kurdistan. I'm trying to learn as much about their Kurdish traditional music as I can, as well as about other types of Middle Eastern music.
How well do you speak the Kurdish language?
Thayer: Not well. I'm trying to learn their language. My favorite Kurdish word is the word for red wine. It sounds a lot like "shut up"; you spell it more or less like s-h-a-d-u-p. It's a joke at our house because I like to drink red wine, and they think it's pretty funny to say, "How would you like a big glass of 'shut up?'"
